Bowling-hoop



.(No Model.)

' J. H. VENNERS.

w BOWLING HOOP.

No. 324,344. Patented Aug. 11, 1885.

v INVBNTOm M BY ATTORNEYS. J"

N, PETERS. Pmwma n' n". wummm n.c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

JAMES H. VENNERS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

BOWLING-HOOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,344, dated August11, 1885.

Application filed December 15, 1884.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMEs H. VENNERs, of the city and county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Bowling-Hoops, of which the .following is a full,clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to the toys known as bowling hoops, which areplain round structures without spokes or arms, and are usually propelledby a hoop stick or handle, held so as to loosely hook or engage with thehoop at a certain elevation relatively to its center, for the purpose ofguiding as Well as pushing or propelling it.

My invention consists in a plain or armless bowling-hoop provided withone or more projections inside of its outer surface or perimeter, each,if more than one of such projections, constituting a tripper foroperating each time it comes round a bell or other indicating deviceconnected with the handle for the purpose of indicating the speed atwhich the hoop is run.

The invention also consists in the combination, with such atripper-hoop, of a handle of the character described, of any desiredstyle or pattern, provided with a speed-indicating device. Thisindicating device, operated by the tripper or trippers on the hoop,may-either be one distinguishable by soundsuch as a bell or gongor onediscernible by sight such as a recording device provided with a dial, orboth may be used on the same handle. The invention may either be appliedto a bowling-hoop of small size-as, for instance, a mere toy-hoopor to ahoop of larger size, suitable for racing or sporting purposes on a trackor course for indicating the speed made in afoot-race; and when thehandle is provided with a gong or bell in addition to a speed-recordingdial the sound of the gong will enable the spectators to register thespeed without inspecting the dial attached to the handle.

This invention essentially differs from bell t-rundlehoops in which thehoop (so called) is a wheel provided with spokes or arms and axle towhich the handle in the form of a nonrotating frame is permanentlyattached, and is provided with a bell and spring-hammer operated by thespokes of the wheel in succession for the purpose of producing a musical(No model.)

vFig. 3 a transverse section of the hoop. Fig.

4 is longitudinal top view of the hoop-handle as provided with a bell orgong indicator.

' A indicates the hoop,which is a plainround one, constructed orprovided with a projection .or tripper, b,- or there may be more thanone,

if desired, at different points in the length of the circle formed bythe hoop. Such tripper is arranged on the inside of the outer surface ofthe perimeter of the hoopthat is, on its 1 inner surface or on eitherside of the hoop, but preferably on its inside.

B is the detachable hooked or crooked handle forbowling and guiding thehoop as bowling-hoops are now operated. This handle, however, has aspeed-indicator attached to it for operation by the tripper I) each timeit comes round. This indicating device is here shown as consisting of agong or bell, c, and spring-hammer cl, which latter as it is acted uponby the tripper -b sounds the gong once in each revolution of the hoop,or oft-ener if the hoop be provided with two or more trippers at equaldistances apart. In this way the speed of the hoop is readilyascertained.

The invention is simple, cheap, and very attractive, and the hoop may berun by either sex with the right or left hand.

Unlike bell trundle toys as heretofore constructed, With an axialsupport for the wheel and fixedlyattached propelling handle or framecarrying said wheel and arranged to project transversely to the axis forthe purpose of pulling or pushing the toy as an ordinary draft-pole isused, my invention does not admit of an axially-supported wheel beingused, but the trundling device must have an unin terrupted open space inits center, or, in othe words, be strictly a hoop, in order that thedetachable hooked and speed-indicating proscribed by the hoop, for usein connection with a spersd-indicating propelling-handle, substantiallyas specified.

2. The combination, with the bowling-hoop A, having anindicator-tripper, b, on its inner peripheral surface within theuninterru 'itcd open space circumscribed by the hoop, of the detachablehooked or crooked propelling-handle B, provided with a hell, 0, andspringhanimerd, essentially as shown and described.

JAMES H. VENNERS.

Witnesses:

H. Dunn, J os. E. REEPLns.

